Someday, Somehow
by Fuedalman
Summary: He a powerful youkai dog, she is a princess. What happens when you put them together. You get one wild ride and a hanyo named Inuyasha. This is a story on how Inuyasha came to be.
1. Default Chapter

Someday, Somehow

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How the hell did we wind up like this   
Why weren't we able

-Nickleback

Prolog-The beginning of the road

Inuyasha could think of other places he rather be then here, as he wondered through the booths. It wasn't the first time he had visited a human town, but usually he stayed cleared of anyplace where human gathered. Tonight he had no choice.

He looked up at the moon, wishing it was any night but this. He felt uncomfortable tonight. It wasn't from the stares that he wasn't receiving, or the lack of people darting away form him like he carried some sort of weird diseased. The problem they weren't, which was really unsetting. He never figured he would miss it, but after almost a hundred years of living with human prejudice, it was really unnerving not to have it.

"I wonder what they are celebrating," Miroku said watching a couple beautiful girls walking by, giggling. He smiled at them and they giggled and hurried away. He would have followed them if it weren't for the threat of Sango and her big boomerang.

"Why do we have to come here," complained Inuyasha out loud. 

Kagome turned around and looked at her companions. She never had seen him like this. Mostly he could careless that if he was in a village, now he was acting like it was something new.

"What's wrong with you tonight," said Kagome, hurrying ahead to walk near Inuyasha. Most of the time he always walked ahead, followed by her and the rest, which she never understood why. He never seemed to want to be part of the group.

She looked at him again, wondering why he was acting this way. True they were on Seehomaru lands, but after the last encounter with Naraku, there seemed to be a strange peace between the brothers; one that might allow them to travel in his lands without the treat of his claws.

"Nothing," he growled and turned around, swishing his black hair in front of him, as if to hid what was really going on in his mind.

Maybe that was it, Kagome thought. Inuyasha never liked being out in public during his time of the month, and had hastily agreed to come to town with them.

Kagome shook her head, she figured he would want to come be apart of the human crowd tonight, Myoga had mention that Inuyasha used to sneak off into town as a child, during these spells.

Kagome sign, give it up to old soar puss to ruin the one night that she thought everyone could relaxed. Well, it wasn't going to ruin her night, she always loved festivals as a child and now she had a chance to visit a genuine medieval festival. Not that these people knew that they were living in the feudal age, to them it was the presents.

"Chill, Inuyasha, it's only for a night, you really need to learn how to relax," she said touching his shoulders.

He turned and growled at her before walking away. She looked at him hurt, as many times as he had yell at her in the past, he had never growled like that. As if he was saying don't touch me.

She sign, wishing that the old flea was here, he was a lot better at explaining Inuyasha then she was at trying to figure him out.

"Kagome, look there's a storyteller," Shippou said, pulling on her leg. She picked up the kitsune before heading over to the entertainment. Let Inuyasha stalk all he wanted she was going to enjoy herself.

"I still want to know what this festival is for," said Miroku said as the story tell, told a story. "I don't remember any kind of festival around this time."

The storyteller stopped and looked at the young monk. "So you want to know about the festival," he said walking over to the monk. The crowd parted allowing the old man to have access to him. 

"This is the day that young princess, last of the royal line, gave her life to a very furious dog lord to save our village over a hundred years ago," he said his voice dropping. Miroku could feel some really bad acting coming on.

"She not only give up her life, but her virginal blood for this village, and for that we honor her sir," said the storyteller, throwing his hands up in the air.

"So he raped her," said Miroku, not really believing it. As much as he had studied youkai he knew that they were able to control the human mind. They didn't need to worry about a human not being cooperative. 

"That isn't how it happen, Old man."

The whole villages turned to face Inuyasha, who was leaning up against a wall, his hand cross and a scow in his face.

"What did you say," the storyteller said.

"I said that isn't how it happen," he said.

"I doubt young man you would know of it," he said

"I know more of it then you would ever known," said Inuyasha turning to leave.

Kagome watched as he walked away, trying to figure out why he was acting like he was. He never stuck up for youkais the way he did just now. He always agreed that they were dangerous lot, best left for him to deal with. But now he was acting like the very idea of youkai savagery was offensive and all lies.

Dog youkai? Kagome looked backed at the storyteller, not believing it. Inuyasha was part youkai, dog youkai and the other part was human. And Myoga once mentions that both sides of Inuyasha blood were noble. Plus, the village was on Sesshomaru lands, which would have once belonged to Inuyasha's father.

She didn't say anything, but handed Shippou to Sango.

"Where you're going?" Shippou asked, not happy to be past someone else.

"I need to be alone," she said turning to take off. "I'll catch up with you later."

It took her a while to find Inuyasha, even in human form he didn't leave a trail. He had made his way to the village's temple and now was siting down looking at something.

She approached him causally, knowing she was heading onto very unstable grounds. Inuyasha wasn't the type of guy that would talk about his past without a fight. Come to think of it, she knew nothing, except what Myoga had let slipped or what she found out on her own, which was about a handful of information.

She had seen his mother once, when Sesshomaru had used the Muonna on him to obstruct information from him. But even Myoga said that wasn't a real picture of her ladyship.

Quietly she sat down next to Inuyasha, tucking her knees into her chest and wrapping her hands around them. She placed her head down on her knees and looked at the simple stone statue that stood there.

"Is that where your mother's body is laid to rest."

He looked down at the small human, for the last year he had been connected to. She always was a strange creature, one of great strength and greater gentleness. But worse of all he couldn't hide from her, like he could do to the others, and she knew it. She knew how he was thinking, how he was feeling, even when he wasn't ready to confront those emotions, she knew. She had the ability to hurt him worse then anything that Sesshomaru or Naraku could ever do.

So he wasn't too surprise when she followed him here.

"No, my mother died far from here. Her body ashes were toasted into a river, like she wanted to be."

Kagome looked at him; she didn't always understand this world. This was a world full of her world superstition. What lived in the back of her world's men minds and their fears: lived in reality here.

"What the man said, it didn't happen like that," she asked. 

"My father wasn't a rapist," he said, but not sure he believe the words. "Unlike human, males of my kind don't see the need to force what woman will freely give," he said, a bitterness in his speech.

"I didn't say he was," Kagome said back.

He keep forgetting this little thing had a backbone, more so then anyone else he had known. She never back down; much like his mother. Unlike all the other females, including Kikko, she wasn't afraid to speaking her mind.

"I know you didn't," he said. Not really wanted to end up face down on the ground.

They sat in quiet for a couple of minutes each one lost in their own thoughts.

"So how did they meet," asked Kagome after a while. She knew the whole story of how her parents fell in love, but it probable wasn't as romantic as how Inuyasha's did. The story had to be dripping with romance, look at the leading characters, a beautiful princess and a very powerful youkai. Being a girl made her a sucker for a good romance story.

"Why do you want to know," said Inuyasha, a little pusillanimous on the reasons. The girl was getting to close for comfort. Even Kikko hadn't been able to get this far into his soul, and the worse part is each time she dig a little deeper, his soul wouldn't let go.

"It sounds romantic," she said.

"Romantic and my sire don't go hand and hand," he said.

"How would you know, you have told me more then once you don't remember him," said Kagome in defense. There was no why he was getting off that easy.

"Look at me and Sesshomaru, do we act 'romantic'" he said. He really wasn't sure of the word. He only had it come from her mouth and the way she talked about it had to be some sort of wishy-washy thing.

True, they weren't the stuff that romance novels were made of, but there had always been something, she dare say, sexy about both of them. Maybe it was the better then thou, rough, manly appeal to both of them, that had to come from their father. Even if both of them hadn't realize it. Maybe that was one of the reasons why she was so attracted to him. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was some dirty dreams about Inuyasha, that still hadn't come into play.

"You're not going to say anything," he said very casually.

She smiled, not today, maybe one day when this was all over, and Kikko was out of the picture she would. But until then she would just have to keep her thoughts to herself.

"I don't want to spend the night arguing on how each of us perceives you, Inuyasha. So you don't know how your parents met?"

Inuyasha sign, realizing not to dig any farther, there were things he wasn't ready to admit to, one of them was Kagome.

"No," he said. "I really don't have any recognition on either of them."

"Well you must have been awful young at the time," she said.

"Eleven," he said.

"Eleven? How the heck do you not have any memory of them if you were eleven when they died."

"I was stuck to a tree for fifty years of my life, Kagome, you usually forget stuff by then," he said.

"But don't you wished that you remember," she asked. She had lost her father when she was very little, so the little memories that she had of him were very precious to her. She couldn't understand why something like this, he wouldn't fight to obtain them again.

"What's the point," he said. 

She put her head on his shoulder, which cause him to jump a little. He still wasn't used to the fact that she didn't cringe when she touched him. She even once told him that she felt safe around him.

"I still think it is a romantic story," she said yawning. 

"You would," he said relaxing once this whole life.


	2. Chapter 1: Then they met

Someday, Somehow

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To see the signs that we missed   
And try to turn the tables   


Chapter 1: Then they meet

He had to escape for a couple of hours. He needed to get away from the constant battle planning and fighting or risk going insane. With the war in going on and the whole of Japan looking towards him for guidance, he needed a couple of minutes to himself.

His escape had been the forest right outside a village on his lands. It was there that destiny would strike and render, and would dictate the next couple hundred years of Japanese history and alter a young modern girls life forever. But that day, Lord Sugimi, the great youkai of the west had other things on his mine, one of them was the naked human girl who was swimming below them.

Nikki dove into the water to escape the world outside the forest walls. As her body cut through the cold water of the springs, all she could think about was getting away from everything. 

Today had been the wedding one of her older sisters, Matsuko, to some local lord that her father was trying to form an alliance with. She had to sit there and watch as another one of her sisters were married off for the better of her father and listen to him go on and on about how she will never amount to anything. 

_If it means marring a discussing lord then I will stick with being ugly_, thought Nikki to herself as she broke the surface to take a breath and then went back under. _Beauty has never done anyone in this family any good_.

What she wouldn't give to be a fish and just swim all day or be a wild animal and roam the forest. She wanted to be anything but a human girl right now.

Sugimi watched from his tree as she dove back into the water. He couldn't take her eyes off her, the way she moved; the way the water moved down her body, creasing each aspect of her. Licking her in a smooth crease before washing off her.

He couldn't take his eyes off her; something about her bewitched him. It sprang at his loins and followed him thought the body. Her scent, the way her black hair spilled over her body and down her back as it moved through the water with her. 

He followed her through the tree, racing along with her as she swims. Trying to get a glimpse of her face, which seemed lost every time she came up. She wasn't a water nymph, that he could smell, but she was too beautiful to be human.

She reached the surface, but her break through the water was different this time it was as if she knew he was there. She stood straight up, with no fear looking in his direction. She couldn't see him, youkai can make themselves invisible to a human 's eyes, but his eyes met hers in for in instant it was as if she could see him. What really got him was the color of her eyes. She wasn't born of youkai blood, he would have smelled even the lightest hint of that, but the eyes were still different from the rest of the humans around here. They were a dark midnight blue, reminding him of a starless sky.

"Who goes there!" she shouted towards him. "Show yourselves at once, I am armed."

He looked at her, cocking his head to the side. How could she be armed?

He heard the rustling of the bushes around him and another human stepped out. How could he have missed the approached of this human?

"It's just me!" said a young girl, maybe only a couple of years younger then the one in the water. She was dressed as a servant and was carrying some sort of garment.

"You scarred me there," said the girl in the water. She threw away her weapon, which was one of the smooth rocks from the water and climbed out. He watched her stroll over to where the other girl was standing and took the cloth from her. As she got dressed, the younger one seemed to lecture her on why it wasn't safe to be alone in the forest.

"And you could be savagely taken advantage of by a youkai!"

"I could be what?"

"Taken advantage of," the younger one said. "My grandmother said there are youkai in the land who take young beautiful girls for their own twisted pleasure and then devolve them."

"And you have been listening to your grandmother way to long," she laugh.

Sugimi watched the girls, thinking the younger one was right. He had never taken a human by force; but then again there hasn't been a human that had stirred him like she had. 

"By what, some Lord youkai cow," the other one laughs again.

"You might think it is funny, but my grandmother said."

"Kimmie, stop worrying. I always swim here and nothing happen to me, yet" the older one said putting up her hair. Sugimi watched, wondering what it would feel like to run his fingers through it. She had the kind of hair had been made for a male's finger.

He heard the gestured sign Kimmie. "You left the wedding."

"I wasn't wanted there anyway."

"But, your sister."

"Kimmie, compare to popular belief, we aren't close." She said with something in her voice that he couldn't figure out. "I can count on my fingers how many times we have talked." He knew that human relationship were on the flicked side, seeing how they betrayed each other at whim but he through there was always some sort of trying to be close to those who were related to each other, or they wouldn't form these alliances. "Plus father always makes it seemed he rather I be any where but near the family."

"Oh…but that can't be true."

She looked back up at him and for a moment something past through her eyes. He sat there, crouching, and looking into her eyes, before she returned them to her friend.

"Never mind," she said walking away. "Come, we might as well get back."

He stood there in the trees watching her leave, out of his life. 

"My lord," came the sound of a small voice of a tiny insect. He jumped off the branch and landed on the ground without any trouble. He stood up and leaned against the tree, watching her leave.

"My lord?"

"Who is she Myoga," he said as the flea jumped on him.

"I am not sure my lord," said the flea. "Probably a maiden from the village."

_Not after I am done with her._

__

She lean against the rail and watched the partygoers make merry as they celebrated her sisters marriage. She signed, one day this will be her but what then. She wasn't expecting a love match, her birth had insure it. But sometimes she wondered if this was the life she was meant to live.

"Your highness."

She turned and looked as one of her father's advisors and brothers' tutor coming up the southern walkway of the palace. She smiled at him a bowed.

"Good evening to you Master Joben."

"So you are the last one to leave here," he said standing next to her, watching the fireworks go off.

"I'll probable die of old age before someone ask for my hand," she laugh and smiled. 

Master Joben reached out and plucked a twig out of her hair. He examined it before handing it to her. "You were always a wild one, Nikki." 

She smiled and blushed before letting the stick fall to the ground to join the others there. The stick clump to the ground before joining the others. It laid there the same as the other but totally different, for it carried with it the scent and spirit of the woods.

"I am like that stick laying on the ground," she said. "I looked the part of the princess but don't feel like one."

Master Joben walked over to where she was looking down at the pile of wood. You couldn't tell which ones were which; the stick was lost in pile never to be found.

"The night you were born, a dream came to me," he said. "I dreamed that you would be taken away from us by a youkai."

He smiled and walked away; Nikki watched him eyes widen at the thought. He seemed very happy at this thought. 

Was this, what fate had in store for her?

"My lord I must protest."

"If you are scarred of them, Myoga then return, you are usually no help to me when danger is near."

"MY LORD."

Sugimi signed, hitting the next house roof. The next time he got himself in indentured servant, he must make sure that this one wasn't a coward.

He took a quick smell of the air, trying to find her scent. He was going to have that maiden for himself; he needed to get it out of system. 

He had never tasted human virginity before but then again there was a first time for everything.

He jumped to the next roof and watched a pair of human brats ran through the streets. All around him were lanterns lighten up and human fireworks going off. He never saw the big deal in them; they were loud and hurt his ears.

"What's going on."

"I believe it is the marriage of one of the lords daughters."

"Now there is something I don't understand."

"What's that, my lord."

"Marriage."

"I don't think they do either."

He sprang to the next roof and walked towards to the outer wall of the palace. The scent, her scent, was leading him in towards the palace. Was she one of the servants? He scaled the wall with little restrained and took the nearest tree. He watched as the night, sky full of color, seemed to cast an unearthly shade onto the path before him. He could hear the rustling of fine silks as it made it's way up the path towards him carrying that smell. 

She walked towards where the trees were, lost in her thoughts. She definitely wasn't one of the maids, but wasn't dressed like the bride either. He had heard that one of lords had a bunch of very beautiful daughters, so guess that she might be one of them. Her hair was now up, but the smell of the summer stream was still there. She stopped and looked up right at him. Of course she couldn't see him, but he wonder what she was going to do if she did see him.

She picked up a smooth stone and skinned it over the water; it skipped a couple of times before falling into the cool deaths below.

She heard the rustling of leaves, and turned to come face to face with a boy about her age. 

"Who are you," she said. He seemed to come out of the moonlight, as if made from it. His hair pulled in a high ponytail of the warrior class with the bangs falling over his eyes. They couldn't hide the intensity of the eyes in their shade. They were gold, sparkling without the help of any light. She backed up again.

"Who are you," she whispered coming closer. Those eyes, there was something extremely unique about the eyes. Something she couldn't place and not sure she wanted to.

He step forward, coming right up to her, his breath lightly caressing her face. His smell feeling up her nose in the most wonderful of smell, the smell of something more wildly and frightening, but also something she wanted to continue to smell.

He didn't say anything, but reached out to trace a finger along her lips before following it with his lips. 

Nikki breathe in a gasp before starting to return the emotion, moving her lips with his. Her mind kept screaming to stop, but she couldn't. Something about his lips on hers was so right. She felt his tongue runs along her lip line, and very casually she opened her lips to him. His tongue slipped in and he pulled her closer, fitting her neatly against his body. She could taste the exoticness that his lips and body posses as he continued to take the kiss deeper and deeper.

She closed her eyes, giving up on thinking and just feeling. She never wanted to stop, never wanted this to end, for she felt that here was where she was suppose to be.

"Your highness!"

Both broke apart and Nikki turned to hear where the voice was coming from.

Her young maid, Kemmie approached her almost out of breath. Did she see it, Nikki wonder?

"Come it's time to say good bye to your sister," she said.

Nikki turned back to where the stranger who was suppose to be standing behind her, but all that was there were a couple of leaves blowing away into the night sky. Had this been a dream, had she just imagine this?

"Something wrong your highness, you look fleshed?"

Nikki shook her head; trying to forget it, but what had transpired between her and the stranger wouldn't let go. 

"Nothing," she said.

Sugimi watched as the woman leave with her maid and touched his lips with his tongue. Her presence was still there.

Who ever she was, that had been her first kiss. The kiss itself was too innocent for a female who hadn't have at least one lover. She was pure, which for some reason he found more appealing. Usually he stayed clear of younger youkai, not wanting to take the time to train them on how to please him, but for her he would make an exception.

"Can we go, my lord," Myoga asked, jumping back onto his shoulder.

He turned from the garden and headed towards the roof. Tomorrow he would come and fetch her. None of this playing human for him. He wanted her in his youkai form.


	3. Chapter 3: How they Met

Someday, Somehow

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I wish you'd unclench your fists   
And unpack your suitcase   


Chapter 3: How they met

She could feel the his mouth on her body, licking her in places she only heard about other woman talk about behind their fans. He moved his tongue, claiming each part of her body, and branding it for his own. He stopped and looked at her, his golden eyes a blazed.

She sat straight up on her futon and tried to get her breath under control. She could feel the wetness between her legs, as if a reminder of what was happening in her dreams. She shook her head, trying to clear it from that vision from her head.

The eyes, they had been her strangers eyes. Who was he?

She rolled over and grabbed her robe. Her body was hot, producing a sweat that wasn't able to cool it down. It clung to her skin, making her more hot. She got up, careful not to wake the others that we sleeping in the room and headed towards the outside.

She slid the door open and crawled outside. The morning was just starting to come alive with its colors, and the air had a new kind of freshness. She slid to the edge of the walkway, and sat there watching the coolness turned to heat.

She yawn, thinking this is the first time she woke up without a sister. All that was left of her was a handful of brothers, none that she never really knew and her father. She had always been the outsider in this family, the one that seemed not to belong. She never had her father's or brothers desire for war or her sister desire for a strong husband. She was more wild then that, enjoying to spend her days on the land, instead of inside. She had a deep passion that was slowly being enlightened by something. She could feel it. It wasn't just what Joben had said, but something about why he said it made her wonder. 

Next it would be her to marry, she had already heard that he was working on where she should be place. Some place that would serve him and betters his chances to win.

She sign, no matter how she looked at it, her future didn't hold much hope for her. She didn't try to think about the alternative, there wasn't much to gain if she killed herself. She never liked sharp pointy objects, she doubt she had the courage to push one through her.

No, the only thing left was to let fate lead her were she is supposed to go.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the cries that were coming through the wall. 

"Youkai!" they shout in stress. 

Why would a youkai attack them, she thought making her way through the garden and pass the gate. She weaves in and out of the people who were trying to get inside the protective walls of the stronghold. As she past them she could see the frighten look on their faces. What ever was attacking them wasn't something small. 

Something grabbed her, pulling her back. 

"Child where are you going," said Kaoko, her nursemaid. Her eyes frighten, widen at the fact that she might not live to see tomorrow.

The wall entrance was only a couple of feet; the big door still opened allowing the people in. But why wasn't the army leaving the castle to protect the people. Did they think that they had a better chance behind the stone and wood that surrounded them?

Nikki watched as a girl her age fell outside the walls. She had to do something, she couldn't let the girl get devoured.

"I got to help," she said breaking the hold. The armory was across the courtyard in the opposite direction, the only place Nikki could think that might have some sort of weapons was the kitchen.

Humans were such pitiful creatures, thought Sugimi as he pounded through the village in his true form. How dare they deny him his request!

He didn't have much liking for this lord; his loyalties were too questionable. Sugimi usually stayed out of affairs of the humans, rather letting them do what they will, so he wasn't surprise when this castle had fallen to outside forces and the royal family was destroyed. 

His mussel struck a smirk as he headed towards the mighty castle. Mighty, indeed, he could knock it over in his human form.

The people were running towards it, as if it would help them. In their haste they knocked over a young girl, who cried out for their help. Nobody stopped to help her, and they call youkai inhumane.

"Stop," said the last voice he would thought he would have heard.

Standing over the girl, protecting her, was her! Dressed in her white sleeping kimono, and a robe trying to protect her flesh from exposure. On her head was a rice pot, which looked like some sort of weird helmet. Her hair whipping out from beneath it and trailing over her face to protect it. She had two wooden spoons in her hands. She looked magnificent.

She also look ridicules. And he would have laughed, if he weren't angry with her for putting herself in danger. Damn it, where were the people who were supposed to be protecting her.

He landed on all four, in his true form and walked around her. She kept herself between him and the girl who was whimpering on the ground. Her face looking at him, showing no fear. She was brave, braver then these messily humans that were suppose to protect her.

"I demand to know why you are attacking us," she said.

"You are in no position to demand," came his booming voice.

"Well if you aren't going to tell me, then I have no choice but to kill you," she said.

Sugimi was taken back, was she serious?

He was impress, she would die in a battle of course, he knew it and she knew it.

"The business is with the lord of this land."

"You intend to kill him and everyone around here," she said.

"Yes," he said not ashamed. They were his, to do how he liked and it was their fault, if they had handed her over, she, he would gladly had left them in peace.

"Then take me," she said stepping towards him. Both spoons lowered, but still looking him straight on.

"You," he said surprised, he had originally came for her. So why was he now acting in shock? "You would give your life up for them?"

She nodded, not failing to meet his eyes.

"You loyal to the lord is commendable."

"I have no loyalty to him," she said, not sure why for the first time she spoke her mind to him. She would have never voiced her opinion around her father in the same manner. That was just asking to be whipped. 

He was surprised; she had to be the lord's daughter. Her cloths were to rich for her to be anything else. But the way she said it was in discuss.

"Then why are you sacrificing yourself for him."

"My mother was princess of this land before he came, he has no claim on these people except what he took," she said. "These people don't deserve what has come treading on them because of him. I am their princess and it is my job to protect them with my life."

So the girl was from the original family of this land. He thought the eyes look familiar.

"I except," he said. "Your life for theirs."

She stepped forward, as the young girl reached out to grab her. She bent down to say something to her then walk forward.

"Your lives have been spared to day because of her. She is now dead to you," he said at the wall. He made eye contact with the lord that silently said it was far from over between the two of them.

The people watched as he bent down and she climbed up onto his back. They watched as the last traces of their beloved princesses vanished into nothing but a legion. 

If she weren't so scared right now, she would have enjoyed this. She had loved highs as a child, always climbing up to the next branch in a tree just to test how far she could go.

But none of her years tree climbing has ever lead to this. The land stretch below her, and the fields looking like pattern sewn into a piece of cloth. She could make out rivers and lakes, and see little dots moving around. Geese flew by, shooting her strange looks as they continued to where they were going. She wanted to reach out and touch them but held back.

She looked down at the big white dog like creature that she was ridding and wondered. He was a magnificent creature with silky fur that covered her in their warmth, like a blanket she had when she was a child. She felt safer then she should have at the moment. They have been traveling like this for almost half the day, far from anywhere she had ever been. 

"Where are we going," she asked, trying to pick out the landmarks. They had to be out of her father's land, but where? She heard the land stretched until there was ocean, but she had never seen the ocean or the land beyond her forest. This was new, exciting, and frightening all at once.

He didn't say anything, but head down towards a farm.

She watched as the land rose and met them, coming down with a soft land. They were in front of a large farmhouse. This wasn't a holding of a lord, but maybe a village elder or something like that.

The blinds of the building drew back and out walked an old woman. Her gray hair tied back into some sort of bun and her kimono plain.

She bowed at the beast before turning her eyes towards his companion. She didn't make any face gestures that would seem that she was afraid of him.

"What brings you hear, Milord," she said.

"Get the child dress property, old woman," he growled.

"I am not a child," Nikki said, speaking out for the first time.

The woman looked at the dog beast half expecting him to take a chunk out of this impudent girl, but he didn't. 

"I happened to be six and ten, making me over the age of a child," she continued.

"I take it that your father never taught you to hold your tongue," he said.

She smiled at him. "He tried, Milord."

"Come child," said the old maid leading her into the house. Before the child opened her mouth to big and found herself starring down another mouth.

Nikki entered what looked like to be the front greeting room and was stirred towards the back. The house was simply decorated with little to do. They might be important, but they weren't rich.

"You're not going to beg me to help you escape," the woman said, opening a door.

"What's the use," Nikki said following her in. "I have a feeling that your loyalty lies with him."

"Then you are wise child," she said.

"I'm not a child," Nikki said.

He sat in the tree in his preferred form and looked out towards the land, trying to figure out today. He went to the village with all the intention of seducing her, only to be caught. He almost destroyed a village of humans for one girl, only to turn out that she was the only one in that village that had courage to stand up to him. Not that he was too sure if she knew who he was. Now he was sitting outside the home of one of many human servants, waiting for her to emerge.

"Milord, I found you."

He watched as the tick jump up and looked at him. He sign, wondering what he did to deserve someone like him.

"Took you long enough," he said facing the house.

"Sir, I must protest to this," said the tick. 

"You had no objections to it before," he said. He knew Myoga had a respect for humans that he could never seem to require, but still made no protest when Sugimi had made his attentions clear. 

"But is it safe for a human to be traveling in the company of you," Myoga said.

Safe? From other youkai yes, but from him no. He had decided to take her mostly because he could have the fun of seducing her, the fun of the hunt.

"She wanted to come," he said watching the bitch come out of the tent. She wore the robes of a male, which was fine. Her hair was wrapped up in a matching cloth, and she had a pair of traveling sandals on. He watched her for a couple of seconds, he never notice how tight her body was. She must have spent a lot more time out door then he thought.

She looked up at the tree, at him for a second.

"Sir, have you seen a big white dog running around," she asked.

"Shss, child," said the old woman coming out of the house. Myoga looked at him, before jumping on the woman's neck.

"Myoga," he growled.

"Never mind," she said as if she was hopeful that he would have disappeared. "You look different, Milord."

He looked down at her with the same eyes as the stranger from the night before. She took a step back in surprises and then quickly recovered from the look of shock.

"I have many forms," he said jumping down from the tree and coming to in front of her. She was a good foot shorter then her, and look like she could break at any moment. But she didn't back away, but looked at him full on. She was going to be enjoyment to tame.

She stared straight into his eyes, daring him to do something and felt a sudden pinch on the skin. She smacked the area and opened her palms to find a flat thingamabob laying it, groaning.

"I see you met my servant, Myoga."

"Ah, a pleasure to met you, your highness, and I must say you have the sweetest blood I have ever had the pleasure of tasting," the tiny tick said, trying to go from 1D to 3D.

Nikki smiled at the tick, she liked him already. "Thank you, and call me Nikki." She looked straight back up to the youkai standing in front of her. "I am dead now, so I guess I lost the title of princess."

Nikki watched the man in front with an odd sense of both longing and fright. She still could taste the feel of his lips on her and wonder if it was a dream. She hadn't told anyone about what happen in garden because she didn't believe anyone would have believed her. Plus it was something she could keep to herself always, something that could only be hers. But then the same strange, who turns out to be some sort of youkai demon, came back and she ended up sacrificing her life for the sake of the people yet he hasn't tried to do anything to her.

She watched the hair in the breeze, as tiny parts of it were played with. She had never seen hair so white before. Even on the elders, it never had it luster, like snow that has freshly fallen or the moonlight. Definitely the moonlight, thought Nikki, that seemed to fit the whole youkai thing. And it was paired to a pair of very intense golden eyes, a pair that had shown through in his human form.

How many forms did this youkai have?

"Sir," she said catching up with him. "How many forms do you have?"

He didn't say a thing, but Myoga spoke up.

"Most lower youkai have only two or three. My lord has more then is possible to count," he said in a proud voice.

"Have you been in his lordship service long," she asked.

"Longer then I can remember," he answered.

"I take it his lordship is a good master," she said.

"Yes, he protect old Myoga well," the tick said.

Sugimi rolled his eyes, protect him. Not that the flea had much of a chance to know what it was like to be protect, the moment it senses danger it would go off running.

"You disagree, milord," she said. He turned back and looked at her, he knew he made no movements to show how strong he disagree with the statement, so how did she guess.

"Wait until you see a battle, then ask me," he said turning back. He didn't owe this human an explanation.

"Milord forgets how loyal I am too him," said the tick.

"And what I remember is how many times I have had of need of you and you were no were to be found," said Sugimi.

"Not everyone is able to protect him or herself milord," she said in defense to the tick. 

Sugimi stopped and turned around. He had never been talked back to, other then a couple very close friends that knew he wouldn't take them seriously.

"What did you say," he said.

"I said not everyone is able to protect themselves, milord."

"That what I thought, don't speak on matters you don't know about."

"And don't talk down to me," she said back to him. He stop.

"Myoga leave us now," he growled out. The tick shot the human the look of fright before hopping away to safety. He felt sorry for the girl, Sugimi wasn't use to people talk back to him, and this tiny girl had said what first came into mind. Hopefully, the youkai would go easy on her being the first offense.

"I thought females of your kind didn't say anything unless they were spoken to."

"Then don't talk down to me," she said back, meeting him in the face. Youkai or no, he didn't have the right to treat her like a half-wit. "You don't own me."

He grabbed, breathing down on her. He could feel her flinched under the pressure he was applying to her arm. She bit her lip, trying to not scream out in pain. His eyes board down into her, trying her to get to back down.

"Rule one, I own you."

  



	4. Chapter 3: Who wears the paints

Someday, Somehow

__

I wish you'd unclench your fists   
And unpack your suitcase   


Chapter 3: Who wears the pants?

He leaned in pressing his lips hard against hers; he wasn't trying to seduce her, like the last time. This time it was to establish dominance, to prove whom she belongs to. 

His arms tightly wrapped around her arms holding her prisoner inside them. He forced her mouth open, and slipped his tongue, she was his to do what he will. She had no say in what he did to her. 

She struggled in his arms to get out, but the more she struggle the more his arms closed tighter on her. Not allowing her room to breathe, so that she would have to depend on his breath.

He moved his mouth on hers, deepening the kiss. She had stop shrugging, but also not excepting him fully. He could seduce, infiltrate her mind, but that would be too easy. He wanted her to be in complete control when he finally came into her. 

Why? He wasn't sure why. 

He moved his arms down her back, cupping her butt, bring her up more to him. He could smell her body starting to response to him, even though she wasn't excepting it yet. The girl was fighter, good.

He ended the kiss and stared down at her. His eyes somewhere between a mixed of gold and red. She stared back into them, not flinching; her breath heavy as she tried to regain the air she had lost.

He leaned back down to recapture her lips but stopped. His ears had picked up something up something moving in the bushes towards them. He quickly put himself between the bushes and Nikki.

A human child struggled out of them before falling in front of them. His face was covered in blood, making it hard for him to see what was in front of him. He struggled to get up, crying out in pain.

"It's okay," said Nikki trying to wrap him in her outer kimono. The blood penetrated through the cloth and started to stain the hands that held him. "Your safe."

She looked up at him with her eyes widen, telling him to do something.

"Nikki," he said trying to claim her, his eyes telling her that this was out of his hands. 

"Do something," she screamed at him. He was a little taken back by this; was he being order by a human?

"Do something," she said crying.

"I can't," he said. Trying to explain to a human the laws of life and death was like trying to explain to a fish what was like to drowning. It was beyond their abilities to comprehend that there was something that they could not interfere with.

He looked past the child as the clocked figure came forward to claim the child soul. 

"What do you mean you can't, or is it you wouldn't," she yelled. "Damn it." She kept looking at him and holding the child tighter.

He took a deep breath trying to remember she was human and this was beyond her ability to comprehend. "Nikki, it's dead,"

He watched as Nikki unwrapped the child, to see that his eyes had frozen into a dead glaze. His little chest wasn't moving, and he had gone limp in her arms.

"No," she whispered, as if the child was hers and not someone she just met a couple of seconds ago. She buried her face into the fallen body.

He bent down and laid a hand on her for comfort. Human grieved too much over death, as if it was something that was unnatural.

She jerked away from his touched and got up. With the body in her hands she took off into the forest, as if she got away from him, somehow the boy would come back to life.

He watched her run, not really sure he should go after her, yet. Human grief was an arcane emotion, one that had the tendency to bring on more death.

"Never understood humans, to begin with," said the cloak voice that was standing on his right.

Sugimi shook his head, and looked at the grim. "Me either."

"I still need the soul from that body," Death said signing. 

"I'll hunt her down in a couple of minutes," Sugimi said. 

"A human?" Death said. "Now I have seen everything."

Sugimi looked at death, not sure what to say. He really wasn't the type of youkai that like associating himself with human, and tried to stay clear of them. He personally couldn't stand them, but she had fascinated him somehow.

"What caused the death," he said not really caring.

"War, what else…don't understand these human, they kill and then get piss off when they are the ones kill…at least this one is a child," Death said.

"War?" Sugimi asked. "There was a batter close by,"

"Yep, about the same directions that your human was heading, Chinese invaders I believe," said Death.

"Why didn't you say something," he said taking off after hers. Give it up to that human to run back into trouble.

Nikki kept running, not sure where she was going or when she stop. How could something be so cruel as to allow a child to die such a terrible death? 

She stopped in her tracks as she came out of the forest into a clearing that was covered with the worse stench. Her nose wrinkled trying to block the smell.

The village that should be have lain in front of her, was nothing but ashes that were slowly dyeing. She could see a couple of animals running around trying to find some reason to this.

She took a step into the village, tightly clutch the body as if it would protect her. The place seemed something out of those hell drawings that she had seen a couple of times. She took a breath, trying not to smell the air.

"Well, well look at what we have here."

Nikki quickly turned around to see two soldiers standing next to one of the burn house. One of them was dragging a girl behind him, only holding her by the hair. She could hear the faint cries from the girl. They spoke in the voice of the invaders, the once that she heard some whispered about. She had learned the language, because all ladies learn Chinese, but she wasn't use to it be spoken so shabby, that she had to dissect the sounds to figure out what they were saying.

"Looks like we wouldn't have to share," said the other one.

Nikki didn't know what they meant by sharing, but she would bet it wasn't something she wanted to know. She took a step back, clinching the soaking body in her hands and trying not to look scared.

"You monsters," she whispered. "I demand you let that girl go and leave this village this instant."

Both men looked at each other before bursting out laughing. 

"You demand, your highness, and pray what power do you have to demand such a thing," said the one not holding the girl. He started to walk forward, Nikki refuse to flee.

"I think I am going to have some fun with you," said the guy taking hold of her hand and knocking the body out. She watched the body fall to the floor and lay there like a child's doll.

"Let go of me this instant."

He looked at her before grabbing her body and forcing his lips on her. She could hear his buddy in the background cheering him on.  
She remembered some ladies at the court talking about area between the legs of a man were very sensitive. Deciding she had nothing to loss, she thrust her knee into his crouch and pushed him away. He bit onto the lip, as he fell, taking some of it with him. Nikki could feel the blood rush over her mouth, and taste her own blood once. It was warm, and had a lingering taste, something she couldn't put her foot on the moment, but her taste buds had tasted before. 

He fell to the floor in an agonizing pain, cursing her as a bitch. She didn't care as long as she got away from him.

"Why you little bitch," he screamed after the pain had left and flew after her.

Nikki grabbed her lip, trying to keep the blood from flowing and ran. She didn't get far before the guy that tried to take part of her lip with him, caught up with her. He turned her around before laying the back of his hand across her face. She fell to the floor, her face throbbing in pain. The heat rushing up to her face and some of it came through her nose.

"I'm going to screw you to death, you bitch," the man said, starting to take off his pants. 

Nikki looked around for some sort of weapon; she wasn't going to give up that easy, not when her and the girl's life were in danger. She had faced a youkai this morning; she could over come this too.

They were differently Chinese soldiers; they had that familiar smell that of Menoumaru. Damn bug.

Menoumaru wasn't in sight, he would have never dirty hands with the blood of humans, but he never put it past himself to allow his loyal followers to rape and plumage.

He heard a faint cry, and headed towards the sound. It figured that the human got herself in trouble. Taking off after the sound, he followed it to where he saw the human on ground. Her face was bruised and bloody, but she was facing her enemy without the fear in her eyes.

He didn't know withered to be proud of her or kill her. The man reached up grabbing her and pulling her towards him.

Sugimi eyes turned red, no human touches what was his. He could feel the blood flow through him as he springs towards him. His claws ripped through the weak armor and flesh, causing blood to be spread everywhere. He could hear the breaking of the bones, as the slip, and the tiny pieces flinging everywhere.

He looked at her; his breath was strong and forced, his eyes boring down into her. She gasped as she looked back at the elongate face and blood red eyes. They weren't human eyes but completely stretched across his eyeball with a slither of black. His hands were covered in the Chinese man fleshed and blood. He lifted his hands towards his face, taking in the smell before spring after his buddy.

Nikki picked herself up watching as the other cried out in mercy only to be cut down to size. The girls that he was holding cried out before running. He didn't go after her, but turned and looked at Nikki, half expecting her to run in fear, but she stood there just looking at him; no fear, no hatred, nothing in her eyes.

He sat in one of the trees watching the going on in the village. The few that had survived, was trying to pickup what was left and starts over. He could see the children all staying together, protecting each other.

There wasn't much left to the village, one sack, a couple of chickens, and a handful of people, mostly too old or too young to do anything about what happen. Winter was soon coming; these people weren't going to make it.

He had seen this scene over and over in his eight hundred years of existence. Humans didn't last long in this world, and the more death they produce the more lowly forms of his kinds came into being.

They would find their way to this village and finish off what was started. The smell of blood, flesh, and fire was too strong for them to resisted.

"My Lord?"

He looked down to see her standing there. Her hair had come out of the rag and was paste on her swollen face. The lip had stop bleeding a couple of hours ago, but left behind a purple bruise.

"Those men who attacked," she said looking out on the village, "They were from across the ocean."

He nodded not sure what to say. How could he explain this war wasn't between humans but between demon, him and Menoumaru, and that humans were dragged into it.

"Why are they invading us," she said. He looked at her, as she climb into the tree and sat down next to him. He was shocked, not many humans liked to climb trees, but she seemed very comfortable in them.

"Greed, power, land, rights," he said not looking at her. "Why do humans invade?"

Nikki sat there for a couple of minutes thinking about what he said. It seemed like a bleak reality on the whole situation of humanity and war. But he was an outsider in her world. She had heard the priest talk that youkais live by their own rules and laws, different from those of humans. And like the ants on the ground and the birds in the sky, they might have contact with humans from time to time, but mostly it was brief. Not interfering or getting involve, so it left the question on why did he get involve in this.

"That's the ironic part of that," said Nikki looking at him. "When we do the invasion it is right, but when it done to us it's considered wrong. But I guess you can justified anything you want."

That wasn't the answer he had expected from her. He expected the more of a way didn't protect them earlier question. Most humans believe that a youkai could solve anything.

"That's one way looking at it."

"Where is Myoga," she asked.

"Probably ran off somewhere," he said, not sounding too upset, almost five hundred years with that flea in serves, he has learned by now not to expect him until way after the battle.

"So what now," she asked.

"Get some rest, we head out in the first light,"

Nikki looked at the village; she knew what was in store for them. But she couldn't leave them. They didn't have anyone to protect them.

"What about them?"

"What about them."

"We can't just leave them," she said. "They will die."

He sign, he had figured this issue would come up. 

"Yes, we can," he said.

"Maybe you can, but I can't."

"And what do you suppose we do with them, I can't afford to take a bunch of humans with me."

"You're taken me," she said.

He looked at her, thinking I have a reason for that. But he didn't want a bunch of old disease man and young children following him all over the country. 

"We are not taking them with us," he said getting down from the tree and walking away. Something told him he just lost his first real argument with this girl.


	5. Chapter 4: Memories and thoughts

Someday, Somehow

Chapter 4: Memories and thoughts

__

Lately there's been too much of this   
Dont think its too late   


__

He had hunted youkai before; this one was no different. He had his reason, more personal then most. Some might call it noble; he thought it as more of doing he duty towards his people.

He looked upon the land, looking for him, the youkai dog. He had a kingdom to protect and a wife with child. They were all that mattered to him.

"So the hunter, becomes the hunted."

He looked up to see the youkai, crouching in the tree, his white hair blowing over his golden eyes. He smiled, so it ends here and now.

"Then let it began and end here, now."

He watched, as the youkai stood up, his face elongate into a mixture between the full youkai and another part of him; his eyes turning red and the purple marks across his face stretching with his face.

The youkai took a dive at the young man, his claws stretching out to rip apart the delicate flesh of the man. He jumped back taking a swing with his sword. The youkai knew of his reputation, the great swordsman. This young human was the great hero. They had clashed many of times; this might be the last. He wasn't going to miss it; the human seemed to be something different, cut from another mold then the rest of his kind.

The battle raged on, both youkai and man fighting for the death. In the last blow, he was able to sliced a through the youkai face, leaving the youkai blind with his own blood. In a couple of days, that would be healed and the youkai back to full fighting mood. He needed to kill the youkai now, but as he raised his sword and starred down at the youkai, he couldn't do it. Kill one when they could fight back was one thing, but this was cold blood murder. Something he wasn't.

He lowered the sword and took off his stashes, and handed it to the youkai.

The youkai lashed out, but with him being blind he couldn't touch him.

"Why are you doing this," said the youkai using the sash to clean away some of the blood from his face.

"Killing you, now, will be in cold blood," he said. "That would be dishonor on you as well as me."

"You realize that once I am healed I will hunt you down and kill you."

"Yes, you might, and I will face you again," said the man. "But I refuse to kill you when you don't have a chance to defend yourself."

_And with that he walked away, not looking back, not seeing the astonishment that cross the youkai face._

Sugimi shook his head, trying to get rid of the memory. Usually the technique worked, but this memory had stuck to him. Why had that one resurface? 

He never went after that man again, their little war had cease, nether one the victory or the loser. But both had walked away from the incident with a respect for each other. It would be about a year later that he would have heard of the young man dying in an invasion. 

What a waste? 

He was probably one of the only lords of his lands that he had some respect for, the others he could care less about.

Now he was faced with something he never expected, the possibility of the man family surviving. Not that it matters much to him; he stayed out of the affairs of humans. He had heard rumors of a mate, but never looked into it to confirm it. Humans weren't his affairs to deal with, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he did wonder. He knew it was customary for humans to kill the whole family of their enemies, wives and children included. But Nikki eyes confirmed that at least his blood had survived that invasion.

He shook his head again for the second time, wondering how Kirokia is handling his enemy lusting after his daughter. He smiled, he might have hated the man in life, but for some reason, he would give up half of his lands just to see the look on Kirokia face if he found out that.

"My lord? What is with the smile?"

He looked down to see Myoga; he had been wondering when he would show up.

"Nothing, just thinking. Have you notice the human eyes," he said wondering what Myoga saw. As much as a coward as the tiny flea was, he came in handy when Sugimi needed some information.

"Now that you mention it, I noticed the eyes color, it is very unusual color, but where I can figure it out."

"Try a certain annoying human that was originally part of my lands," he said watching the girl in the distance. She was playing with a group of small children trying to get them to laugh. 

The flea sat there thinking for a couple of moments, going over each and every human he had known in his lifetime, which was a lot for being over a thousand years old.

"There is only one human that seems to stick out in my mind."

"Kirokia?"

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing, he did have the most unusual shade of eye color for a human."

"Think it is possible that his bloodline survive."

"Well, I had heard that his mate was one of the most beautiful woman in Japan. So maybe?"

"I was thinking about asking Nikki, quite curious about it."

"Why? The last time I look you two were bitter enemies," said Myoga looking down at the humans that had wonder close to the tree. He didn't bother to ask what had happen; he knew his lordship work.

"Kind of curious what happen. It isn't everyday that you run into the daughter of an enemy that you have a score to settle with."

Nikki had no idea that the youkai in the tree was talking about her, she was more inattentive on the children playing.

"Are you sure," she asked the elder who was sitting on what was left of a stumped. She looked around the village, or what was left of it and shook her head. They had been assisted that they could make it without relocating to another village.

"We have food stored secretly, and I don't see another invasion happening here in the near future," said the elderly gentleman. He had lost almost all his family except two small grandchildren.

"I guess there isn't much to invade," said Nikki trying to make light of what had happen. She had spent half the morning helping the older children bury the bodies. As a princesses she had been sheltered away from the horrors of daily life, but this had been a hard blow in her face. A wake up call to what most of her people faced. She swallowed and tucked a hair behind her ears, tying to block out the images that had played in front of her eyes. She had already thrown up twice, and the little amount of food she could hold down was making her stomach ache. 

His lordship said that they would be leaving the village tomorrow, but she wondered if she could handle another night around this dying village.

"I really wish you would reconsidered. There is another village only a days journey from here, and I am sure they would take in the survivors."

He smiled at her. "They have enough problems, not to have to be burden with all of us. Don't worry, your highness we will make it."

Nikki smiled and walked away from the group, lost in her thoughts. From where she stood, there was no way they would make it through winter. They might have the food, but shelter, and blankets and warm clothing had been lost on the stag. How could a man put his own village in danger?

She came upon a stream, next to village, across it was where the field once were. They were now nothing but a piled of ash and soot. How where a handful of very young children and very old people going to make it.

She pressed the cool water to her face, glad of the relief that it brought her. She looked up and screams.

"Would you not do that," Sugimi yelled at her.

He was sitting across from her, like a dog. He hands on the earth, and his legs behind him bent. He cocked his head to the side, looking at her.

"You scared me," she said, taking a deep breath in, her nerves were already shot, and having him sneak up on her didn't help.

"Well, I didn't need you screaming in my ears to remind me," he said.

"What do you want," she asked, not bothering to apologies, because it was his entire fault. Screaming is a natural reaction when someone scares you.

"Nothing," he said shaking his head. Maybe some other time he will ask her, not that it was that important to him. The guy was dead, and so what if she turned out to be his daughter. It wasn't going to change the fact that he will have her. Maybe he will enjoy it more knowing the fact she was who she was.

"Your be happy to know that the villagers have decided to stay, so you don't have to go around dragging a bunch of helpless humans around."

"Thought so," he said. He knew he lost the fight and was planning on ditching them at the first village they came across. But he also knew that most humans get very attached to their homes, and no matter how bad a situation was they preferred not to leave their homes.

"Don't sound too happy," she said a little disgusted with him.

"You can go against nature, Nikki. And human nature is to declare a spot and not to leave. Very rarely do you find humans that wonder the Earth because they want too."

"But can't they see what it is that they are up against?"

He looked towards the village, or what was left of it. They wouldn't survive, or maybe they would. He had seen humans survive much worse. It wasn't his concern, he needed to get back to the South, Menoumaru might have figure out that he had disappeared for a while and decided to use that time to plan another attack.

The girl, he had no idea what to do with. Part of him said to have his way with her and dump her off at the next village, the other part told him that to go ahead with his original idea.

He looked at her, as she looked back at the village, her face was grimed with dirt, but her pale skin and eyes seemed to come more alive in the dirt.

"What ever you are thinking about, forget it," he said. "You are leaving with me and that is final."

Nikki wasn't too happy about saying good bye to the villager, but she knew that their minds were made up. She hoped that they weren't going to come this way again, and find that she was right.

She silently prayed to Buddha as they walked, not saying a word to her capture; not that there was much to say.

With all the time she had alone in her thoughts, she started to really think about the whole situation. If this was happening to someone else, she might have found the tale romantic and exciting, but now she didn't know if she should be scared or not. He hasn't done anything to her yet, but they really didn't have much time from the incident at her village, to the incident at the next village, to this moment, for him to do something to her.

Part of her had wish she had taken her maid warning more seriously, and the other part was fascinated with him.

He was different from anyone else she had known at her father's court. The way he held herself to the way he talked, almost reminding her of what a hero was suppose to be like.

Her father had many enemies, and a lot of them were powerful. He was a person who lived in coincident fear, a fear that was brought on by the power that he had taken. She knew this youkai to be one of those enemy's. She had heard the whispered, but never paid much attention to them. Before they were story told to frighten children into behaving, now they were more real.

And the last thing that was bothering her was how he looked at those two men before he killed them, like they had defiled something scarred to him.

He stopped, taking a quick sniff of the air before groaning.

"Something, wrong, milord."

"Great that all I need is him to show up," said Sugimi.

At that moment about fifty man and wolves jumped out the woods to surround them. She took a step back and quickly grabbed onto a Sugimi robes. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waste, staring her towards an easier place to protect her.

"Well, well what do we have here," said a man coming from the back. He wasn't dressed in normal clothing, but a kind of armor made from the skin of animals. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his eyes were blue. These weren't human, but youkai, thought Nikki. "A pup, and a…"

The wolf man took a sniff of the air, and then other, trying to figure out what he first smell was right. "A human?! Boy, haven't we lowered the standards, your fuck anyone," he laugh.

Sugimi growled at him causing most of the pack to take a step back, except for the leader.

"Temper, temper."

"What the hell do you want," Sugimi said, he was about ready to rip the pup head off.

"You are traveling on my land, and you are asking me this?"

"Correction, this isn't your land, last I checked it belong to your father."

The wolf shook his head. "Technicalities," he said stepping forward to get a better look at the human. He took her face between his hand and looked her over. 

"Ah, now I see why, get rid of this dirt and you got yourself a good looking bitch, Sugimi."

Sugimi? So that was his name, Nikki thought looking over.

"Will you get your hand off of me," she said snapping her head out of his hands. 

"Fisty too," he said but before he could pull his hands away, Sugimi wrapped his hand tightly around the fist and looked him in the eyes.

"The human is none of your concerns, what the hell do you want," he said.

The wolf broke free of the restrains, and looked at the human again. "My father wants to see you."

"He does," Sugimi said and turned to face the pack. "The human bitch is off limits, if I find out that anyone looked at her the wrong way, you whole missible pack will answer."

"You don't have to get pushy, you know we have never treated a guess badly," said the wolf man.

Sugimi didn't say anything as he took a hold of Nikki arm to lead her in the direction of the caves.

  



	6. Chapter 5: Come as you are

Someday, Somehow

__

Nothin's wrong   
just as long as   
you know that someday I will

Chapter 4: Come as you Are

She stayed close to him as they entered the cave, her eyes trying to adjust to the dimness of the caves. All around her were rocks hanging from different angles, some of time even seemed to float on the air. Everywhere she looked were theses strange half wolves half-human looking beings. Some where cooking, other were lounging around, as the younger ones darted in and out along with a pack of wolves cubs. The cavern was full of with hundreds of these strangest beings, each staring at her. She inched closer to him, hoping to hide in his robes. He looked down at her, his one eyebrow raised.

"Scared?"

"No," she whispered, trying to get herself to stop shaking. "I just don't like being stared at like I am the dinner."

"You are," he said, acting like it didn't matter.

She looked around the cave again, she had heard that wolves' youkia favorite food was human meat. Being devoured by wolves was on her list of ways she wanted to die.

"Stay close, they have a taste for human flesh."

Nikki didn't say anything; all she could think about was not getting eaten. In one day, she had been taken from her home, by a youkai who had the same eyes as her stranger, dragged to who knew where, attacked by two foreigners, and then rescued by him again. Now she was walking in a place even the bravest human wouldn't dare. She half expected to wake up and find it all a dream.

She looked back up at Sugimi, why hadn't she noticed that he had the same eyes of the stranger before. There were so uncommon, bright gold, as if they had been just polished, with a glitter of red. If he was her stranger, then why was he at the palace that night. What was he doing? She knew those questions weren't be answered by him, she got a feeling he wasn't one for explaining himself.

He looked down at her, trying not to laugh. She was putting on such a brave front; most humans he knew would be shaking so hard that they would have peed more then once, on the trip. Yet if it weren't for the fact that he could feel a shiver here and there, he would have sworn she does this thing all the time. Nothing could put fear in a human faster then be surrounded by hungry youkai. Most of the time a human only entered a den of the wolf youkai because they were dinner, but he knew that Koug would honor what he said. Like it or not, Koug father held to much respect for him to let Koug go against his words.

What he didn't like was the why Koug was now looking at her, like she was more then just the next meal. He had touched her, something about that was rubbing him the wrong way. She belonged to him, she had given herself to him an exchange for her people, and now she was his; his possession and property.

But knowing Koug, he would challenge him to his right over the human bitch. Plus Koug liked good-looking bitches, and she was very good looking.

"Greetings old friend," came a voice that stops farther thoughts that he was having.

On one of the cave formations that looked like a throne then something that nature threw together sat, Koishia, ruler of the northern tribes of wolves. His two younger brothers sat on either side of him acting as his council. Not that a youkai really needs a council, they just need to be stronger and smarter then the rest.

Koishi looked at the human for a moment before turning his attentions back to him.

"I take it you are well, old man," said Sugimi stepping up to the throne. He wouldn't bow; he was the great dog demon of the west and bow to no one.

"As well as can be expected considered these old bones," said Koisha. "I see you brought us a gift."

Before Nikki could blur out anything about not being someone's position, he quickly said. "The human is mine, as I told your son, anyone who touches her I'll make the whole pack suffer.

The white wolf didn't seem to react to what was being said, just nodded his head. He got up and sat there looking at him and then her before announcing she was guess of their pack.

"Why have you asked me to come," Sugimi said impaciently.

"I sent a messenger to the North on a diplomatic mission," Koisha said. "To the Lunica clans."

Sugimi tensed up for a couple of seconds before relaxing. She could feel his reaction to the words and wonder what the Luncia were.

"They tell of one of theirs being held by you," Koisha continued not missing the reaction that was shown. Nikki wondered who the Lunica clans were. She had known from eves dropping on her father's conversation, that politics was a very twisted world of deals and breaking deals. She personally preferred the direct approached to a problem; none of this sneaking around and trying to get the better of a person.

"I believe that this is a private affair, and not one that needs to be dragged out by the council."

"It might be to you, but the council is getting restless, they know that the Lunica could sway with the Menomaru."

"And let me guess," said Sugimi indisguest. "If I hand over Sesshomaru then they will be convince to side with us."

Nikki wondered who this Sesshomaru was and who were the Lunica and why were they important. She knew about the invasion going on from China, but she didn't realize that another war was being fought.

"You know damn well all they care about is power. They are going to wait until who ever is at the verge of winning," said Sugimi.

A couple of wolves talked among themselves, whispering about what was being said. She could pick up bits and pieces of the conversation, putting together the pieces. Like her father, these creatures also make allies and treaties with each other, but she wondered if they did it like humans did. By selling their daughters into marriage to keep an alley.

"But the council."

"The council could kiss my ass for all I care, I will not have him dragged into this," he said and walked away leaving Nikki standing there. She didn't know if she should follow him or just leave him alone. Whatever was going on had hit a nerve with him, a very raw nerve.

"He's always been one with a short temper, said Koisha.

"So you noticed too," said Nikki.

Once you get past the whole part of these creatures live off humans, they weren't really so bad. They were actually kind of nice.

They live in tight groups that they called packs, which was made up of families, which reminded her of where she lived. It seemed everyone in the palace or the village was related to each other somehow. She walked through the cave with Koisha, as he and Myoga talked to each other. 

The stopped at one of caverns entrance, which was a little cubby holes full of straw and deer skins. "You can sleep here for the night," said Koisha. "Feel free to wonder around, you are a guest among us."

"Thank you for your kindness milord," she said taking a bow.

"Don't worry, the pup will be back for you," he said and walked away.

"Who's worried," she whispered. She didn't want to outstay her welcome here; she might become part of their diet after tomorrow.

"Myoga," she asked the flea who was parched on her shoulder. "Who is Sesshamoru."

"He is his lordship son," said Myoga.

Something shot through her, making her go numb for a second. It caused her to stop breathing of a second, before regain it. Why did that announcement effect her like that? She didn't have a claim on him so why did that announcement leave her cold all over? 

"I didn't know he was married," she said.

"He isn't," said Myoga.

In her mind she could figure out how one has a son without being married. A person gets married and then a couple of months later, or years they have children. 

"But you said."

"Youkai don't have a ceremony like what humans call marriage," said Myoga trying to figure out how to explain this without going into too much details. She was untouched which probably meant that she knew nothing about what too place between a man and woman.

"So then how does he..."

"Hard to explain, but it isn't a marriage. Some take a mate for a while, like his lordship did. And others take one for life, not many though."

"I'm still confused, but what about the Lunica and why do they want his lordships son," said Nikki.

"They are a tribe of semi denities who one of them was taken as a short mate for milord."

"And let me guess, that one had his son, and they parted on bad terms and now they want the son back."

If you count him killing her, then yes that would be bad terms, though Myoga. "Yes, how did you know."

"Just good at putting things together, I guess."

"I am not sure of the whole linguistics of the affair but it is a delicate issue I wouldn't suggest discussing it."

"I'll keep that in mind.

He sat in a tree a couple of miles away from the caves, looking out into one of the valleys. He had been stupid. Against all arguments and logic he had fallen. He knew what they were like, had dealt with them before, but always thought she might be different. He found out how wrong he was.

He knew the issue would come, not that her family wanted revenged, they had been caught in her lie and to go up against them would destroy them. But now they got the council backing them up on their claim to his heir, and one day his young pup will grow up to be powerful as he was. Which make him very important in their quest for power.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He knew his claim over the pup was stronger then theirs, and that the council wouldn't try to force him to give him up, but the council felt that they need the Lunica in this war, which he didn't agree with. They were power hungry, will stab you in the back, kind of demi who would sell their own children for their advancements.

He signed, letting some steam out, he hadn't thought of her in while. Not that it matters much anymore, he learned his lessons, one that he would reek the benefits of.

The rustling of the leaves in a nearby bush brought his attention out of the pass.

"You might as well come out," he said not looking down at where the sound was coming from.

The white wolf stepped out of the bush and sat at the base of the tree. He was too old to go between forms and preferred his original form.

"So this is where you came to stalk, pup."

Most being wouldn't dare call him pub, but he did allow this one too, mostly out of respect.

"You can't hide from it forever."

"Who says I'm hiding," Sugimi growled.

"No one."

"Then let's leave it lie."

Koisha decided to not say his council, he knew that Sugimi would have to face the issue again, one day. No one can run forever. 

"You sound like your father."

"Can you save me the lectures, old man," said Sugimi looking down at him. "I am not some pup who's wet behind the ears." And with that he took off back towards the caves. The quicker he collected the human the quicker he could leave this and get on with what he originally planed to do. He would have completely have left, if he didn't leave her there. 

She was different from Tayhamanla, smaller and much more easily broken. She was delicate and weak compared to Tayhamanla, and probably wouldn't last longer then the first time he took her, not that he cared. Bitches were only good for one thing, spreading their legs, other then that they don't have much use. He will probably dump her somewhere after the first time. 

The kiss he had forced on her didn't leave his mind. The way she felt and the way her lips moved. She wasn't experienced as most of the bitches he has had, but her innocents made that taste much sweeter. He was looking forward to deflowering her, when the time came. 

In his mind, thoughts about her echoed. After all this time, he refused to feel anything towards another female, especially a human. He knew better, human or youkai, females were all his same. His mother, Tayhamanla, and now this human, they were all the same.

She had wondered outside of the caverns and had come across a couple of young children playing in the grass. She had sat down to watch and a couple of minutes had been dragged into their game. She smiled and laughed as she chase them around, thinking how much they were like human children in their games. Every couple of seconds she looked up, waiting for Sugimi. 

"If you are looking for a man, I can name even humans that would be better for you then that pup."

Koug was standing there, surrounded young males of his pack.

"Thanks but no thank," she said trying to sound like it didn't really matter.

"So how did you end up with him," he asked, walking over towards her.

"I'm not sure about that, it just one of those things that happens," she said, trying to move away form him. Something about the way he was watching her was making her nervous. He didn't seem to be picking up the hint that she didn't want him any more closer as he moves towards her.

He reached out and grabbed her marveling at how tiny she was. If he wanted to, he could have snapped her in half without much effort. She tried to move out of his arms, scared at what he might do to her.

"He hasn't claimed you yet," Koug whispered. "I might."

She stopped for a second before she pushed him away, sending her palm flying towards his face. The sound of her hand making contact with his face, echoed in the valley causing everyone to look up. Some gasped at the idea that this human had dared t hit Koug, others watched in anticipation, waiting for him to do something.

He looked at her surprised, rubbing his hand over the mark. No female, even those of his own pack, had ever dared.

She didn't back down or look away, but met his eyes directly. Burning in their depths wasn't a woman's soul but that of a warrior. She wasn't the type to become a damsel in distress without trying to get herself out of the situation first.

"You're a fisty one, aren't you," he said. "I like my bitches fisty."

"I am really meeked and mild," she said taking a step back. She always was ably to dig herself into a deeper whole and most of the time on accident. 

He grabbed her around the waist and plodded his mouth down on hers. The kiss was different the Sugimi. Sugimi seemed to make her want to melt into his body, this one just felt wet and slimy. She struggled to get out of the grip, which was causing him to push harder.

He was standing there one moment and the next was thrown on the ground. Sugimi was standing between her and him, with his backside towards her. He turned to look at her for a second, his eyes were fired with an untamable wildness that would have lashed out at anyone.

  



	7. Chapter 6: When in Doubt

Someday, Somehow

Chapter 6: When in doubt

_Someday, somehow   
gonna make it allright but not right now_

            "You really know how to push an issue don't you, Koug," Sugimi said.

            Koug picked himself off the grown, "It is not my fault that she has better taste in males."

            Nikki face dropped as she tried to figure out what to say.  How in the world did he come up with that conclusion?         "Wait, I never said that!"

            Sugimi didn't turn around, but looked tensely at the young male; his blood rushing through him, pounding in his brains.  He flexed his fingers, allowing his claws to spread and sharpen.  He was going to have fun ripping this pup to shreds.

            Nikki turned one of the youkai.  "Do something; they're going to kill each other."

            The youkai looked at her as if she was nuts.  Going in between two male youkai when they are fighting over a female was suicidal.

            "They're going to kill each other," Nikki said.

            "I doubt it, you aren't the first female they have fought over and you probable wouldn't be the last," he said.

            Nikki didn't know wither to be insulted or not.  She had heard her sister talk about men fighting over them as if they were trying to justify the man's death.  Ayama even went as far as to say that a women beauty is measured by how many men have spilled blood for her.  To Nikki it was a wasteful death, dieing over something as trivial as a woman's affections.

            "Someone's going to have to stop this," she signs.  

            Sugimi stopped himself right before he pushed his claws right through Nikki flesh.  She stood between him and the now fallen Koug, looking at him, daring him to push on.

            Where did she come from and why did she stepped in between them?

            "Nikki, I know your love for me is strong, but you don't need to protect me," Koug said, looking at her.  He was impressed; she put himself between him and the pup, something a stronger youkai wouldn't even dare.

            Nikki just rolled her eyes; something told her that this youkai lived in denial a lot.  But right now wasn't the time to push to get him out of it.

            "I refuse to be fought over like some sort of prize," she said.

            "You have no say in this," Sugimi growled.  How dare the bitch do this?  She was his property and could do with her as she pleased.  What right did she have to say who she would choose as a mate!

            Why was he thinking about mating with her?  She was just a passing fancy, something to be used the discarded with as soon as he was done.

"This pup needs to learn his place."

            "And let me guess you're the one who going to teach me," Koug said back.

            Sugimi tried to go around her, but found that she could move very quickly. Her small stature making it easy for her to move quickly

            "Move!" he growled.

            "Over my dead body," said Nikki, folding her arms and staring right back into his eyes.  This fight was childish to begin with, she didn't belong to either of them, so why were they fighting about it? 

            "It will be over you're dead body, if you stay there," said Sugimi.  The bitch was impossible, didn't she realize the dangers in getting involve.  

            "I'm not moving," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.  She could be just as stubborn as anyone, especially since she didn't want the guilt over her head.  "So you might as well stop?"

            He was about to knock her out of the way when, he got a sniff of something.  He winkled his nose, turning it towards the smell and then looking around.

            She could feel the pack tense up, forgetting the fight that had been going on a couple of minutes ago.

            "You smell that," she heard someone whisper.

            "She couldn't smell a thing, but something in the way they were tensing up wasn't right.

            "Sugimi?" she said, the first time she called him by his name.  He liked the sound of it on her lips, like the sweat sound of rain in the summer.  Her voice almost had a musical quality to it.  

            "Sugimi," Koug said "Get her out of here."

            Sugimi grabbed her and pushed her towards the forest, "Go."

            She looked at him and then back up at the sky.  It had become dark as some strange looking fly balls of feathers filled it.

            "What are they," she said staring up into the sky.

            "WELL, WELL LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE, BROTHER," of them said in a loud booming voice.  It didn't have one body, but two of them sticking out of the large round ball of feathers with a mouth.  It was like some sort of bird had mated with a human, and this was its offspring.  "DINNER PLUS A TASTE HUMAN FOR AFTERWORDS."

            "They're known as harpies, birds of paradise," said Sugimi putting himself between them and the human.  "You better go and hid, they eat human."

            "I kind of figured that one," said Nikki.  If those were the birds of paradise then she hate to see the ones of hell.

            A couple of days ago she whished she could have a more exciting life, and now she was wishing that she would take back her boring life again.  This was too much excitement.  She ran towards the trees, hoping they would give her some sort of protection.  They didn't look like the kind of birds that flew through things very easy.

            Most of the younger ones from the pack had also taken themselves to hiding in the thick forage.  

            "Are we going to die," one of them asked looking up at the big birds.

            "No," Nikki whispered back.

            She watched as the birds swooped in to take on the wolves youkai.  This would have been exciting if it was for the fact that the outcome of the battle would decided if they lived or die.

            "Momma," she heard a cry sounding from the battle field, and look to see a young little cub in the middle of it.

            "That Koug's son," said one of the children.  Kouga had a son and he was talking about taking a mate?  This was a strange world these creatures lived in.

            "Stay here," she told the children as she ran through the forest.  Hopefully none of those birds would notice the young cub or the human trying to rescue it.

            One of the warrior had fallen leaving his sword squalling on the ground.  Nikki quickly picked it up and continued towards the pup.

Sugimi ripped a parted another one of those damn harpies, personally he wouldn't participate in a territorial fight like this one, except he would have had a hard time staying in the back ground.  They love youkai flesh as much as humans.

He whipped around to see his human sprinting across the battle field heading towards a cub that had been left behind in the chaos explosions.  

At the same moment a harpie had spotted the easy prey and had descend on it.  Nikki whipped the sword at him sending the harpie crying back in the air.  The sword had to be heavy for her, but she seemed to manage it pretty well.  He watched as she brought the sword back up to a defensive position holding it just a little higher then here head.  The harpie laughed and went for her again, only to find out the little human was pretty good with a sword.

Her father would have been proud.

Nikki stood her grounds.  As long as she could remember she had always been fascinated by the discipline of the sword.  She used to practice on in, out in the woods, using the sticks that she would find.  She would inmated the moves that she had seen the warriors do over and over again.  She wasn't the greatest, but she could at least defend herself.

She refuses to rely on someone to protect her.  Look where it landed her mother.

And right now she was very glad that she was the type to go against everything and do her own thing.  The bird weren't letting up, and now had gone to get reinforcements.

"Great," she whispered to herself.  One she could handle three was another story.

"I thought I told you to take cover," Sugimi growled, jumping infront of her.

"Working on that," she said scooping up the little youkai.  All three of the harpies dived at her at once.  Sugimi spring forward to meet them as Nikki jumped away.  He got two of them, leaving the third one open to dive at Nikki.

Nikki changes directions quickly, trying to give herself the best angle in which to attack the harpie and protect the cub.  She could hear the whimpering of it, and the feel of the battle all around her.

She smiled, dropping the cub at the last moment and plumage the sword into the side of it.  It screamed, causing a couple of the harpies to look towards her.

"Funny how a weak human can kill one of your kind," said Sugimi taking a looked at the big one.  "So do you want to continue this or not."

The king looked down at the battle field, counting the numbers of bodies to the number of stand9ing then look back at the youkai.

It was the second time she noticed that his eyes were red and his face was elongated.  He looked farce and strong, something you don't want to trivial with.

"WHO ARE YOU," it boomed in a voice that seemed to shake the ground.

"I am the great dog lord of the west," he said.  Nikki eyes wided, she figured he was a lower dog youkai, but to find out he was the one that people talk about behind their fans, or told stories about during long winter nights.  

"WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE WITH THIS," it said.

"My business is none of your concern, harpie.  Killing one being such as yourself means nothing to me.  So I ask you again do you want to continue."

It looked at Nikki and then down at the body of the harpie that lie there.  Nikki swallowed and raised her sword up to protect herself, she didn't like how it or they were looking at her.

"HUMAN, YOU DARE TO DEFILE ONE THA T IS BETTER," it said.

Nikki didn't say a thing but continue to look at it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Sugimi.

"WHY, DO YOU CLAIM THIS LOWELY BITCH AS YOURS,"

"She is the daughter of Kirokia, and you can see has the same skills as her father, but go ahead if you want."

The thing stopped and looked at her before flying away.  She looked back at Sugimi, trying to figure out how he knew her father or at least knew the truth.  Her step father had forbidden the talk about the man who once was lord; her mother had been put to death because of her outburst about him. And another question is why did he mention that?  She hardly remembered him and stories about him didn't exist.

"So you don't claim her," said Koug, brushing himself off.

"I didn't say that," he said pushing past him and looking at her before turning away.  "We leave in the morning."

He watched her move around the den, helping the healers with the injury.  The human had earned their respected, which was apparent on the way they acted around her.  Bravery was hold about as high as loyalty among these people and she did save the life of their leader's grandson.

He wasn't too surprise, she seemed to show a huge amount of bravery for a human.  Her father would have been proud.

She stopped to talk to Koug, and laughted at what he said.  He wanted to know what was going on between them, but he was still fuming from earlier.

How dare she throw herself at Koug.  DIdn't she understand that she belong to him?

Not that it had matter before with the bitches whom he slept with.  

So why was this eating at him?  Why was he acting like this should matter?

Bitches were only good for one thing.  What was between their legs.

She stopped and the light caught her hair, bring out the shades of brown in her hair and lightening her eyes.  She turned and smiled at him and his breath caught.  She was a strange mixture of beauty and strength that was always full of surprise.  

He shook his head and headed out of the cave, needing a little air.

The sence in front of him was litter with fallen bodeies, which wasn't much better then the one inside.

The bodies didn't bothered him, it was hard to get through eight hundred of years of life without seeing death more then on one occation.

He walked to the edge of the clearing and disappeared into the trees.

She stepped outside, clearing her mind and not trying to think about what has happen.

In the last two days she had been taken from her home, attacked three times by being that before she thought were only old wise tales, kissed twice (three if you considered Koug slobbering on her) and now belong to a pack of man eating wolf youkai.  

She kept her focus ahead as she walked through the after math of the battle.  She was dirty and grimy and want to get rid of the feeling.

One of the females had told her about a private springs off in the woods.  She wouldn't be disturbed.  It would giver her, the privacy that she was craving.

She reached the pond, stripped out of her tattered cloths and dove in, letting the cool water wash away everything.

The sound of splashing water had brought him to the pond.  Someone had entered his isolation, and it was too heavy to be a fish.

He peered down through the trees to see the tail end of her dip under the water.

Part of him wanted to strangle her from wondering way for the den and the other part was eagerly compliant to see her.

He was going to end this spell she put him under, here and now!

Author Notes

To LLJade  One of my favorite things about the show is the whole Kouga, verse Inuyasha.  Like Kagome said it is so middle schoolish.  I figured what the hell, but it isn't Kouga but his father who has the crush.

To JayRay88, sorry about the grammar errors, I put these things out so fast that sometimes I don't have a chance to get it a good correcting.  But thanks for pointing it out to me.  As for Sugimi, I tired to give him both a little bit of both of his sons.  I personally think that Inuyasha takes after his father a lot and so does Sess.

To Dark-Trinity Sess's mother plays a very important role in this.  I wanted to write a fanfiction that is not only a love story, but a historical account and a political battle.  I have taken elements from the show and manga and tried to explain how they have came to be.  As for Nikki father, Nikki had to get her smarts and feistiness from someone, and I doubt that her mother would have given it too her.   

For all those whole like Nikki, I didn't want a cut dry princess.  This is a girl who is smart, feisty, but also caring and a fighter.  Just like Kagome.  You usually connect to people that are like people who are part of your life.  I truly believe that Kagome and Inuyasha at the end will end up together.


	8. Chapter 7: A rose betwen two nonrose lik...

Chapter7: a rose between two none rose like people

_Someday, somehow   
gonna make it allright but not right now   
I know you're wondering when   
_

A rock hurled at his head and he caught it before it could hit his face.

            "What are you doing here," said Nikki.

            She had good aim; he had to give her that.

            "I could be asking that of you," he said.  She was slouching down in the water, trying to hide her nakedness from him.  The water didn't offer that much protection from his eyes, as it gave glimpse through it shinny depth of her pleasures.

            He jumped down from the branches, causing her to quickly turn around.

            Modest one.

            "I have seen naked females before, Nikki," he said, liking the effect he had on her.  He liked being in control of any situation, and this was a refreshing change from the females that were very confident about their bodies, and the power they had over males.  She hadn't realized that yet, heaven help him when she figured that one out.

            He walked over where her cloths were.  They were pretty messed up, nothing like what she had been wearing the second time or even the first time he had seen her.  The woman had supplied her with peasant garbs, and the movement that had endured for the last couple of days had its effect on them.    She belongs in something more enhancing, something that would show off her beauty.

            "Can I have my cloths," Nikki asked.

            He held them out, waiting for her to come out.

            "You aren't going to leave are you?"

            "I told you before I seen females naked, including you."

            She turned a brighter shade of red, as she looked back at him, sinking lower into the water.

            "How? What? Where?," she said.  It would figure that Kimi would have to have been right about that.  She searched her memory, trying to figure out when he could have seen her, but the last time she had bath was…

            "You were spying on me the day of Mitsu wedding!

            "You really should have heeded your friend's warning," he said.  "Are you getting out?"

            "What right do you have to spy on me," she demanded.

            "My land, Nikki, everything belongs to me and I am free to do with it what I want."

            "Leave me, now," she said, not used to not being obeyed.  She was the princess and used to her wishes being heed.  Only a few people were over her, but since they really didn't pay much attention to her, what she said was law.

            "No," he said standing there, the sooner she realizes that she was his property the better off she would be.

            "You could be a gentleman and turn around"

            He raised an eyebrow, him a gentlemen, now there was something to laugh about.  There was nothing gentlemen about him.  But the look she was given him told her that she had not attentions of getting out until he turned around.

            "Fine, I'll turn around," he said.

            "Promise."

            "I promise to keep my back turned until you get out," he said turning around.

            Nikki waited a couple of seconds before immerging from the water.  There was nothing around to shed her body so she took the risk that he would keep his promise to her.

            He lingered for a couple of seconds before she was directly behind him, and quickly grabbed her, tossing her cloths a couple of feet away.

            She faced him, her body press so tightly against him that she could feel her shaking.  She struggle against him, which made him tighten the grip on her.

            Sparks were flying in her eyes as she meet his.  She was too much trusting for own good.

            "You promised you would keep your back turned," she said.

            "No, I said I would keep my back turn until you excited the water, which I did."

            "That's turning my words around."

            "Ask me if I care, he said bring his mouth down on hers, tasting the surprise.  She struggle for a moment before given into the pleasure that was spreading through her body.

            He brought his hands down her body, being careful not to scratch her.  He didn't want to mark up the beautiful skin of hers.  Curling his hand under her butt, he pushed her up to get better access to her mouth.

            He pressed his mouth more firmly on hers, parting her mouth and slipping his tongue into her mouth.  Her tongue touched his shyly, growing bolder and bolder with each taste.

            His mouth left hers, traveling down her throat, licking and nipping her delicate skin.  He could taste the water on her flesh.

            She groaned, throwing her head back allowing him to have better access.  Her hands moving form clutching his arms to tangle themselves in his hair.

            He moved between her breasts before taking one of them into his mouth.  If it wasn't for him holding her tightly she would have dropped to the floor in a puddle.  The sensation rushing through her was unbelievable, it was too much and all she could do was hold on and allow to it to come.

            She was perfect.  Her breast, not to big, not to small but seemed to fit into his mouth and hands as they were made just for him.  The way she had reacted, the innocents mixed with purity, threaten to send him over the edge.  All he wanted to do was loose himself in the emotion she was staring in him.  He had to remind himself that she was untouched, so he had to take this slow.  Later they would be more time for more primitive matting.

He continued his assault on her breast, tasting the flesh with his tongue and teeth.

            He could smell her excitement for him; in a couple of moments she would be ready and could end this damn torment.

            Except that someone was heading towards them.

            He grown, baring himself into her chest.  This was getting ridiculous.  It was as if the world was against him.

            "Someone coming," he said, handing her, her cloths.  "We will finish this later."  His golden eyes returning from the hint of scarlet that had been flashing in them a couple of moments before.   

            Snapped back, trying to slow down the racing of her heart.  Her body was still shaking from the experience, and her mind wouldn't let go of the images of what he was doing a couple of moments ago.

            What had just happened?  How could she have lost control like that?

            She quickly duct behind Sigimi as Koug stepped through the clearing.  Her eyes closed as she hoped that Koug wouldn't see her in this compromise situation.

            "What do you want?!" Sugimi growled.

            He narrowed his eyes at Sugimi as he spotted Nikki from behind.  He could smell what had been going on a couple of moments ago.

            "What they hell are you doing to her," Koug growled back.

            "None of your fucking business," Sugimi said.

            Nikki could feel him tense up as he cracked his finger and then flecks them.  She gentle put hands on his.   "He was watching out for my safety while I bath," she said hoping that would calm down the males.  "Was there something that you need, milord."

            "Call me Koug," the wolf demon said looking over at Sugimi, the hatred burning in his eyes for the other youkai. "I was trying to find him to tell him, part of the council had arrived."

            "What the fuck is the councilor doing here," he growled pissed at that was the reason he had been interrupted.

            "Hell if I known," he said turning and walking away.

            When she was sure that Koug had left she finished putting on her cloths, not looking at Sugimi.  Her body had betrayed her once, and she was afraid she would do it again.  She was scared, more scared then she had ever been.  He had touched something that she had tried to hide from the world.  What effect did he have over her, that her ability to hide herself was lost?

            Heaven help her, she did not want it to stop.

            She shook her head, trying to stop the heat from seeping back into her face.  This was dangerous grounds that she would trivial on if she allowed herself to be lost. 

            But she also knew this wasn't the last of it.

            He leaned against the rocks, watching her.  She had been able to pull herself very quickly, enough to stop two male from attacking each other over her.  Which lead to the question of why didn't she allow it?  Didn't female like having males fighting over them, something about it giving them worth?  This is the second time she had intervened.  It wasn't because she wanted Koug, her smell had told him of her desired for him.  A smell that was going to haunt him.  But then why?

            Nikki finish tying her pants, and flipped her hair out of it.  It was going to be one tangle mess when it dried.  Combing her hands through it, she set to work on braiding it.

            Sugimi watched her for a couple of seconds before curiosity got the best of him.

            "Why did you stop the fight?"

Nikki stopped in mid braid; her arms sticking out.  She hadn't been prepared for the question for the fact that he noticed that she had tried to break up the fight.  She had always relied on the fact that people didn't notice her, to hide.

"Well, um, if you moved," she said.

He raised his hand to stop her from saying more.  Form the color of her face he could tell where this conversation was heading.  But she had stepped in the last time and he knew she didn't do it to hide her nakedness.  He decided later he would push the issue further.

She finished the braid; it would have to do until she could get her hands on a comb.

"Are you done?" he asked.

            She had never been allowed in a meeting area at home, so this was a very new and strange experience.  She sat on one of the rocks at the far side of the cave with other members of Koug pack watching was going on.

            There was a strange mixture of half humans half something else all around, some males and some females.

            "Only two of the brother showed up," said one of the females that had been introduced as Kasya.  She was around Nikki age, or the equivalent of her age in youkai years, with two cubs. 

            "Only two brothers?"

            "Yes, Lord Intaishomaro and Lord Hinezumaro."

            Nikki looked at the two that Kasya was pointing at.  One was Sugimi, and the other she had not seen before.  He had the same whiten hair; his face was long giving him the features of a rat, a handsome rat.  On both of his checks he carried the same markings as Sugimi.  Where Hinezumaro hair flowed down his back, Sugimi hair was pulled back into the style of a warrior.  While Sugimi had a long white fluffly tail, this one's tail was like a rat, naked and whip like.

            "I thought his name is Sugimi."

            "It's a nickname, from where he got I don't know.  You would have to ask Koug."

            "So they have known each other."

            "Yes, and from the time that they were very small they fought."

            "Koug, has a son?  But I don't know remember meeting his wife," she said not entirely upset if she hadn't.  She wouldn't know what she would feel like if Sugimi had announced his attention for another girl.

            She shook her head, why would she even think like that, it wasn't like they were married.

            "Wife?  Oh, you mean mate.  Toyuan unfortunately died a couple years back on a harpies raid.  All he has left is Kouga."

            "I am sorry to hear that," she said kind of relieve that she wasn't the cause of attention between him and a mate.

            She looked back at Sugimi, wondering about the nickname.  She would have to ask Koug about it later.  She was curious about the youkai she now was in servitude to, he didn't' act like the ones from tales that she heard as a child.  He didn't seem like some mindless killing animal, incapable of any kind of mercy.  For the last couple days she had seen a whole knew side to these strange creatures, they thought and reason like humans.  Or somewhat like humans.

            She looked at his brother; she always pictured him as an only child.  They weren't the same kind of animal.  Sugimi was a dog youkai and Hinezumaro was more rat-like.  She didn't know much in the way of making babies, but she knew that you had to be the same kind of animal to breed with each other.

            "Hows that possible?"

            "I guess you haven't heard the story.  The goddess Chikyuomaro was known for taking many lovers.  Out of those affairs came the five brothers.

            "So they are half brothers," said Nikki.

            "Yes."

            "Well, actually they are more, their mother being such a powerful denity; she gave them most of her blood, but they have their sire blood too."

            "I was wondering where you have taken off too," said Nikki.  "His lordship is right, you do like running away during a battles."

            "I wasn't running, I was finding out information for his Lordship," said the tiny flea.  "But I can't get near him to let him know."

"What's wrong."

            "Well it turns out that Menoumaru has been in talks with Lord Tyaboga, that might have an effect on how the council proceeds."

            "Lord Tyabog?" said Nikki.

            "Have you heard of him."

            She knew who he was alright, he just married Mitsu.  So that's why her father had arranged that marriage.  He was turning his back on her people in hopes for a stronger alliance. There might be more of a reason for her meeting Sugimi.  Destiny is a strange dancer, never following a simple step.

            "So why can't you get to his lordship?" asked Nikki changing the subject, better not to let them know right now.    

            "You see those two down their on the right.

            She looked towards two men standing at the far end of the cavern; both had dark black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.  On the forehead was a black moon.

            "Yes?"

            "They are part of the Lunica clan.  They have been watching me since I came back.  I have a bad feeling if I try to make contact with his lordship they might try to intervene."

            "Scared."

            "I am not!"

            "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

            "His lordship mate was from part of the Lunica."

            "Ah, and the plot thickens."

            "I fear I said too much."

            "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Nikki said.  Then looked over where Sugimi was sitting there with his brother as the council argues among themselves, each taking in what was going.  She had paid enough attention to know that the war with Menomaru wasn't going well and that the other were either being force to join the other side.  That is way the council had been pushing for Sugimi to hand over his son.  But then why was Mygoa wanting him t o know about her brother-in-law agreement.  Tyo, a youkai, a human alliance shouldn't matter, or does it?

            There was only one way to find out.

            She hoped that dogs have as good as ears as she heard.

            She gave a small cough which got sugimi Attention.  He turned and looked at her, and she mouth Myoga name, hoping the two Lunica didn't notice her.  He gave her a weird look before turning back.

              
           

Authors Notes

Sorry about not getting the latest chapter to you all, computer problems and the two weeks from hell – may the end someday.       


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